Experience the ultimate tropical paradise of Cebu when you travel to the Philippines

Welcome to Cebu (pronounced: see bu) a gorgeous sun filled tropical island in the Philippines, it’s easy to see why it’s fast becoming one of Asia’s new “hot” spots in tourism. Cebu’s beaches are the envy of Asia with its white sand and crystal clear blue waters. Cebu is home to some of the best Philippine resorts with a variety to suit everyone’s budget. If it’s your first time to travel to Cebu you will want to know where and what to do in Cebu. Before you travel read our article on planning your holiday in Cebu Philippines it could save you hundreds of dollars! To make your holiday to Cebu a more enjoyable trip BeyondCebu has made it easy for you to find the best places and deals in Cebu. On the top left side of this page under the main menu banner we have listed Cebu’s major tourist destinations (towns and islands). Opening up these directories will give a more detailed description of each place. If you’re looking for a resort or hotel in Cebu I have compiled a large directory of resorts and hotels in Cebu complete with videos, photos and best deals.

Cebu Sinulog Parade Video

Follow my travel blog on Cebu for further reading on Bantayan Island, Malapascua, Camotes Islands and all the other tourist spots in Cebu. I also have added travel tips if it’s your first time to Cebu.

This video gives shows a quick run down of the tourist attractions in Cebu Philippines.

Video Guide to the Top 10 Beaches in Cebu

Top Attractions in Cebu

Video to the Top 10 Tourist Spots in Cebu

If you’re flying into Cebu, you will be landing in Mactan Island. Mactan is Cebu’s playground and it’s a place you can indulge yourself in life’s pleasures. Mactan resorts and spas are located around the island and many are luxurious and upmarket, the most popular being the Shangri-la Cebu Resort, Plantation Bay Resortt and Crimson Resort to name a few. For the more budget conscious the island still offers plenty of options with cheaper hotels and resorts in Mactan, we have provided a detailed list of resorts and hotels in Cebu. For those who enjoy bargain hunting, Cebu City offers some great shopping opportunities. Cebu City has 2 large shopping malls with more being built. Nightlife in Cebu, while on a smaller scale to Manila has some exciting bars and clubs to keep most party goers happy. Whether it’s just to listen to a live band or dance, Cebu bars and discos go on until the early hours of the morning. Cebu has some fantastic diving, so if you’re a scuba diver or would like to learn you should be heading to Moalboal, Malapascua or to the south to Lilo-an. Beach lovers will find that the beaches in Cebu are some of the finest in the world, if you’re looking for a beach resort in Cebu you should check out Bantayan Island, Camotes Island, Sumilon Island, Malapascua, Mactan Island, Moalbaol (white beach area), Badian Island or Sogod (Alegre Resort). If you’re a golfer, you should look at Cebu City, San Remigio, Danao, Badian or Bogo City. The popular whale shark watching can be seen in Oslob. For Further afield from Cebu, Bohol is just a couple of hours away by fast craft, there you can enjoy scuba diving, great beaches and some of Bohol’s natural wonders like the Chocolate Hills.

The beautiful Anda in Bohol. Read more about Bohol here.
Cebu Island is a long narrow island stretching 225 km (140 mi) from north to south and one of the most densely populated islands of the Philippines. Cebu is located roughly in the middle of the Philippines and is surrounded by 167 neighbouring smaller islands the biggest ones being Mactan, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. All five of these islands represent Cebu’s biggest tourist destinations.

You will find Cebu has so much to offer and I am sure your trip to Cebu will surely be a memorable one. Discover your exciting holiday to the Philippines today.

Top Waterfalls in Cebu

Resorts and Hotels in Cebu

Not sure of accommodation in Cebu? I listed my favourite hotels and pension houses in Cebu and the top 7 Cebu Resorts (on the left side of this page under the BEST OF CEBU top 7). On the whole, hotels in Cebu are pretty affordable, ranging from simple pension houses up to luxury 5 star hotels. For a full directory of hotels and resorts in Cebu as well as neighbouring islands such as Bohol and Siquijor please visit here.

Video of the top 10 attractions to see in Cebu.

Weather in Cebu

Cebu’s weather is tropical and stays hot but pleasant all year round. The rainy season begins around June and starts to dwindle away in December. Cebu can be lashed by torrential downpours, thankfully they don’t usually last very long. Cebu is also usually spared from the full force of the typhoons that hit the country during the rainy season, so while the north of the Philippines is lashed by these typhoons, Cebu will usually only experience days of rain! Check the Philippine government website for Cebu’s weather updates (http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph). The dry season starts roughly in January (although with climate change things are less predictable than before) and the rains usually start picking up by the end of May. December – January Cebu experiences its cooler temperatures while March through to May it experiences the hottest temperatures (around 38°c).

Language and population in Cebu

The dialect spoken in Cebu is Cebuano. It is understood and spoken widely in other areas of the Visayas (Leyte,Bohol, Negros and Siquijor) as well as Mindanao. Filipino (Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines) is commonly understood and spoken. English is widely used in business transactions, government and education. The population of Cebu City and Cebu province is more than 3.85 million (2010 census).

History of Cebu

Cebu was already trading with China, Arabia and Siam long before the Spanish. When Ferdinand Magellan arrived in Cebu on April 7 1521 he observed the locals were using items traded from other countries. The origins of the name Cebu (Zubu then) are debatable, with a number of theories where it came from. One is a misunderstanding between the Spanish asking the local tribes the name of the town they were in. The tribes’ people thought they were asking what they were doing rather than where are we? They replied Sibu (melting animal fat). There is no debate on the Spanish influence, and how they shaped Cebu to become what it is today. Their first arrival in the country is still a legacy and the remains of Spanish forts, churches and monuments are proof of that. These historic sites are now popular tourist attractions in Cebu.

4 thoughts on “Welcome To Cebu”

Great website!!! I am thinking of coming in September how much rain should I expect. What do you recommend far as islands? I love adventure but my wife likes to party and relax on perfect beaches. Should I fly into manila or Cebu? I was thinking of borcay, Cebu and corron. With day trip for whale sharks, Chocolate hills and waterfalls any thoughts. Thank you sorry for all the questions.

Thanks. Well with weather you can never predict what it will be. Generally you can get some downpours for a couple hours or so and ok the rest of the day. If there is a low pressure system around you can expect days of rain. I’m more familiar with Cebu and surrounding island. Boracay offers nice beaches and places to party. Cebu is a bit more laid back, while you can party in Cebu City, it doesn’t have any nearby. The closest is Mactan Island and the best beaches there are the man made ones at the upmarket resorts there. The better beaches are located in Bantayan, Malapascua and Camotes – but you don’t have the places to party. If you do the Chocolate Hills, it would probably nice to stay a couple nights in Bohol at Alona Beach – plenty of places to stay there.
Cheers

Hi Rob, just to say how much I enjoyed your latest videos. I’ve just got back to UK after my latest trip to philippines. I went to Boracay (again haha) but this time added Dumaguete, Palawan (Puerto Princesa and El Nido) and Alona Beach Bohol to my trip. Really enjoyed them all , but what I really want to do is dump the big suitcase and try some of your island hopping around Cebu. I’d really like to visit Bantayan, Malapasqua and as many other islands as possible. Do you think it would be ok to start from Cebu City as would like to spend some more time there first. I think the journey north is quite a long way from the city so I would appreciate any suggestions re best way to travel ( bus, private van ?). Also can you advise whether it’s best to book hotels before arriving as I would really prefer to do it when there. I’d be grateful for any advice you can give me as well as any suggestions re itinerary Rob , as you are the number one Cebu expert. Thanks in advance, and please keep up the good work as there is so much info on vids .
Thanks again , and best wishes
Brian

Hi Brian
Sorry I have been on the road travelling.
Yes starting from Cebu City is probably the best way to do it. There are flights to Palawan and Dumaguete from Cebu City. The best way to travel and quickest is by taxi. The guy I used this time was Boy 0923 643 4701 or 0939 0487 150 he was pretty good and reasonable prices. Booking hotels in advance isn’t really necessary. Generally only during holidays (such as Easter) I would book ahead. Only a few times have I come across fully booked hotels/resorts and there always has been an alternative place to book. If you want to do Bohol again, it’s easy enough to catch a ferry from Cebu City, there are plenty of ferries all day. To Bantayan and Malapascua you could do them both together. It is possible to travel by boat between the 2 (but I would only do this if the sea conditions are good) – which can be arranged when you are on the island. Otherwise, from Bantayan catch the ferry back to Hagnaya (Cebu mainland) and make your way to Maya port (where the boats leave for Malapascua). You would have to arrange a taxi to take you between the two. Public transport such as buses you may need to connect via Bogo – which is a bit of pain. If you wanted to do the Camotes Islands, on the way back from Malapascua it’s possible to stop at Danao pier and catch a ferry across. There are now fast craft from Camotes to Cebu City – so you could catch this on the way back.